Bus seat securing means



Feb. 23, 1943.

R. S. TURNER BUS SEAT SECURING MEANS Filed Aug. 5, 1941 Patented Feb. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUS SEAT SECURING MEANS Robert S. Turner, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application August 5, 1941, SerialNo. 405,549

8 Claims.

This invention relates generally to the class of chairs and seats and pertains particularly to improvements in means for securing chairs or seats to the floor or other support.

The present invention is directed primarily to an improved means of securing in place seats used in buses, train coaches or the like.

In the cleaning of buses and train coaches or other structures used by the public and where a number of chairs or seats must be provided which are secured in position, it is very difficult, particularly in buses, to thoroughly clean the same without removing the seats. At the present time bus seats and the seats orchairs used in train coaches, airplanes and other vehicles are secured to the fioor'by the use of bolts, and when it is necessary to remove and replace such seats, considerable time and labor is involved, and it is also necessary to employ the services of at least two men to do the job.

The principal object of the present invention, in view of the foregoing, is to provide an improved method or means of securing b us, train coach, airplane or like seats, to the supporting floor structure in such a way that the connection between the seat and the floor structure may be easily and quickly broken and established as necessary so that such seat may be removed from position or replaced with a minimum of effort and very quickly.

Another object of the invention is to provide in seats of the character stated, an improved leg structure which not only provides an attractive support for the seat but provides a housing for the seat securing mechanism.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for securing the seat legs to a floor or other support which may be secured or released without the use of special tools, and which is of strong and durable construction, and when in secured position cannot work loose to accidentally release the seat.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it being understood, however, that the invention is not to be considered as limited by the specific illustration or description but that such illustration and description constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing: I

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a seat constructed in accordance with the present invention, a portion of one leg being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in plan, upon a reduced scale, of the bottom of a leg.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I generally designates a seat which is conventionally illustrated and which is of the general construction commonly used in buses, train coaches and like public conveyances, such seats having a bottom frame, to which the supporting legs are attached and which is indicated by the numeral 2.

In accordance with the present invention, the frame 2 has secured to the transverse bars 3 which form a part of its construction, the legs, which are indicated generally by the numeral 4, and which are of hollow form so as to provide a housing for the hereinafter described securing mechanism. These legs may be shaped from suitable sheet metal and they have the upwardly converging side walls 5 which are joined at their forward edges by the rounded vertical front wall 6, while at their rear edges they are angled to extend downwardly and rearwardly and are joined by the integral rounded back wall I which has a downwardly V and rearwardly extending slope. The upper edges of the four walls of the hollow legs are suitably secured as by welding or in any other suitable manner to the frame bar 3, while the bottom of the leg structure is closed by the bottom wall 8. Thus it will be seen that the legs are of streamlined form and because of the rearwardly sloping back walls which extend beyond the point of connection between the top of the leg at the rear thereof and the frame, will function to hold the seats firmly and prevent any tendency to rearward tipping.

The numeral 9 designates a floor upon which the legs 4 rest and in accordance with the present invention, the floor has secured thereto two keeper members, which are indicated generally by the numeral Ill, and which are in the form of eye bolts, the shank of the'bolt being indicated at H and extended downwardly through the floor and having threaded connection in a reinforcing plate l2, which is secured against the under side of the floor by screws I3. Each of these bolts has the eye I4 which is disposed vertically above the floor and the eyes are in a common plane extending in the direction of the width of the seat.

r The bottom' wall 8 of each leg is provided with a slot 15 and the eye-bolts ID are set the proper distance apart to be extended through these lots into the interiors of the legs when the bottom walls of the legs are set firmly upon the floor.

Each leg has the bottom wall 8 thereof provided with a centering pin l6 adjacent each of its ends, which pins engage in suitable sockets I! formed in the floor.

A side wall of each leg has formed therethrough an opening l8 and secured to the bar 3 to extend across the under side thereof is a sleeve l9 through which extends a pivot bolt 20, one end of which projects through the opening it and carries upon the outside of the leg a crank arm 2!.

Below the opening l8 there is secured between the walls of the leg, a transverse shaft 22, and upon this shaft is oscillatably supported a sleeve 23 with which is integrally coupled the hook member 24 which turns on the shaft with the sleeve. This hook member includes the hook bill 25 and the ear 26 which is upon the opposite side of the pivot shaft 22 from the hook bill and is substantially opposed to the bill, or is aligned therewith lengthwise of the hook, as shown in Fig. 2.

To the ear 26 is pivotally connected an end of a pull link 2! which extends upwardly and at its other end is shaped to provide the crook 28 which extends through the opening l8 and is pivotally attached by the pin 29 with the free end of the crank 2|. The concave side of the crook is directed toward the shaft 20, so that when the crank 21 is rocked into locking position, it will pull up on the ear 26 of the hook to swing the bill forwardly and upwardly for engagement through the eye of the adjacent eye bolt ID, as shown in Fig. 2, and the sleeve and shaft is and 20, respectively, will be received in the crook 28 and the free end thereof will swing past the vertical center of the shaft 20, so as to establish a lock for holding the hook in connection with the eye bolt.

Upon the wall 4 of each leg through which the opening I8 is formed, there is pivotally attached at 30, a latching finger 3i which is adapted to engage the lever 2| when in hookengaged position to further avoid the possibility of the lever swinging back from its operative position. A keeper 32 maintains the latch finger in horizontal lever-engaged position.

In order to facilitate the assembling of the parts in each leg, the bottom wall 8 is provided with an opening 33 through which the assembling operations may be performed.

From the foregoing, it will be readily apparent that there is herein provided a novel, as well as substantial and reliable means, of securing seats to supporting structures, which provides for the quick and easy removal of the seat and its replacement, when necessary.

What is claimed is:

1. A seat structure of the character stated, comprising a seat body, hollow supporting legs for the body each having a bottom opening, an element for each of said hollow legs designed to be secured in a floor or like supporting body on which the legs rest to extend through the bottom opening of the leg to the interior thereof, a hook member oscillatably supported in the lower part of each leg in a position therein relative to said leg bottom opening for detachable operative connection with the adjacent element when the element is extended through the opening, a crank member carried by each leg adjacent the upper part thereof and upon the outer side of the leg, and an operating link connected with each crank member and extending into the adjacent leg and having operative connection with the hook for facilitating the oscillation of the hook into or out of connection with the adjacent element upon turning of the crank.

2. A seat structure, comprising a seat body. legs connected with the body and each comprising a hollow casing-like structure, each of said legs having a bottom opening, an eye bolt extensible through the bottom opening of each leg and adapted to be secured to a support upon which the leg rests, a hook member oscillatably supported within each leg for detachable connection with the adjacent eye bolt, each hook member having an ear, a crank supported by each leg upon the outside thereof and adjacent the top of the same for oscillation on an axis extending transversely of the leg, a link member having one end pivotally connected with the crank and extending therefrom into the leg and downwardly toward the hook member and having its other end pivotally coupled to the ear of the adjacent hook, said crank when oscillated effecting the oscillation of the hook member through the intervening link for the connection of the hook with or its disconnection from the eye-bolt.

3. A structure as set forth in claim 2, in Which said link member has the end connected with the crank bent to form a crook which extends around the pivotal axis of the crank when the latter is oscillated in a direction to move the hook into operative connection with the eyebolt whereby the free end of the crank is thrown past its pivotal center and the hook becomes secured against reverse movement.

4. In a seat structure of the character stated, a seat body, supporting hollow legs for the body, each leg being in the form of a casing having upwardly converging side walls, one side wall of each leg having an opening therethrough, the bottom of each leg having an opening, a keeper member-adapted to extend through the bottom opening of each leg and designed to be secured to a floor or like structure upon which the leg rests, centering pins carried by the legs for engagement in openings in said floor, a shaft extending transversely of the leg adjacent the keeper member, a hook oscillatably supported on the shaft for detachable connection with the keeper member and having an ear, a pin supported in the upper part of the leg for oscillation on an axis extending transversely thereof and having an end extended through the side wall opening, a crank connected with said pin and disposed upon the outer side of the side wall having the opening therein, and a pulllink having an end connected with said hook ear and having its other end extending upwardly and through said side wall opening and pivotally attached to said crank.

5. In a seat structure of the character stated, a seat body, supporting hollow legs for the body, each leg being in the form of a casing having upwardly converging side walls, one side wall of each leg having an opening therethrough, the bottom of each leg having an opening, a keeper member adapted to extend through the bottom opening of each leg and designed to be secured to a floor or like structure upon which the leg rests, centering pins carried bythe legs for engagement in openings in said floor, a shaft extending transversely of the leg adjacent the keeper member, a hook oscillatablysupported on the shaft for detachable connection with the keeper member and having an ear, a pin supported in the upper part of the leg for oscillation on an axis extending transversely thereof and having an end extended through the side wall opening, a crank connected with said pin and disposed upon the outer side of the side wall having the opening therein, a pull link having an end connected with said hook ear and having its other end extending upwardly and through said side wall opening and pivotally attached to said crank, and a securing latch pivotally supported upon the said side wall and adapted to bear against a side of the crank to maintain the same against pivotal movement when the hook is in operative connection with said keeper.

6. In a seat structure of the character stated, a seat body, supporting hollow legs for the body, each leg being in the form of a casing having upwardly converging side walls, one side wall of each leg having an opening therethrough, the bottom of each leg having an opening, a keeper member adapted to extend through the bottom opening of each leg and designed to be secured to a floor or like structure upon which the leg rests, centering pins carried by the legs for engagement in openings in said floor, a shaft extending transversely of the leg adjacent the keeper member, a hook oscillatably supported on the shaft for detachable connection with the keeper member and having an ear, a pin supported in the upper part of the leg for oscillation on an axis extending transversely thereof and having an end extended through the side wall opening, a crank connected with said pin and disposed upon the outer side of the side wall having the open ing therein, and a pull link having an end connected with said hook ear and having its other end extending upwardly and through said side wall opening and pivotally attached to said crank, said link having a crook formed therein at its upper end designed to partially encircle the pivot pin of the crank whereby the pivoted end of the link will move beyond the pivotal center of the crank when the hook is moved into locking engagement with the keeper, to maintain the crank against reverse movement.

7. Securing means for a body supporting leg comprising, a substantially C-shaped hook having a bill and an ear aligned therewith lengthwise of the hook, a member designed to be secured to a floor or like support on which the leg stands and including a keeper bar beneath which said bill is adapted to engage, means intermediate the ends of the hook and oiiset from the line of the bill and ear pivotally coupling the hook with the leg for the engagement of the bill beneath the keeper bar, an actuating rod pivotally connected at one end with the ear and extending vertically therefrom in the vertical plane of the floor attached member, and means operatively coupling the other end of the actuating rod with the leg body facilitating the application of longitudinal movement to the actuating rod for effecting the oscillation of the hook and movement of said bill relative to the keeper bar.

8. Securing means for a body supporting leg comprising, a substantially c-shaped hook having a bill and an ear aligned therewith lengthwise of the hook, means rotatively mounting the hook on the leg, said mounting means being offset from the lengthwise alignment of the ear and bill, a member designed to be secured to a floor or like support on which the leg stands and including a keeper bar beneath which the bill of the hook is adapted to engage, an actuating rod pivotally connected at one end with the ear and extending vertically therefrom, said actuating rod having its upper end shaped to provide a longitudinally extending arcuate portion, a crank pin pivotally supported at the upper end of the leg to extend transversely of the concaved side of the arcuate upper end portion of the actuating rod, and a crank link pivotally connected at one end to the free end of said arcuate portion and having its other end secured to said crank pin, said crank pin when oscillated in one direction efiecting the longitudinal movement of the actuating rod to oscillate the hook bill out of connection with the keeper bar and, when oscillated in the other direction, effecting the longitudinal movement of the actuating bar in a direction to engage the hook bill beneath the keeper bar and to swing the free arcuate end of the actuating bar across the crank pin to lock the actuating bar and hook in position.

ROBERT S. TURNER. 

